Declension
by nemaara
Summary: "You can't run from death." Perhaps this is true, but beware of the enemies you might make when taking things too far. Death has a bad habit of taking everything with it. Rated M for violence and suggestiveness.


Disclaimer: Nothing from Teen Titans is mine

This is another one of those stories that needs a gazillion warnings... like _Ascension, _it's borderline MA and actually it's probably darker. So...

_**Warning: If you are uncomfortable with nudity, torture, any form of adult content, violence, rape, psychological trauma, or anything related, don't read.** _Not kidding. Really, don't. I mean it. And if you're underaged (under 18), don't read either. I don't want to randomly scar people with these types of stories, so please heed the warnings.

But... if you're okay with all of that, then welcome.

Finally, on a quick side note, I'd like to point out that the title of this oneshot is an antonym to ascension. Food for thought...

"Speech"

_Thoughts _

* * *

><p><em>Thump thump thump.<em>

_Thump... thump._

_Thump. _

_What's going on?_

_It's all dark. I can't see anything... it's so cold. Where am I?_

_I can't feel anything. Everything's numb. Am I moving? Wait, no. I hear something. Someone... screaming? No, that's not the only thing. What is it... Azar! That sound. Oh my- what's going on?! It almost sounds like... _

_It's getting loser. The screams are getting louder. Wait, I've heard that sound before. It sounds like... it's like... is that**my **voice? No, that can't be, I'm not screaming... what the- what kind of sound is that? What's happening to- what?_

_The screams stopped... okay then. Is that it? No, it's not. Something's getting closer._

_What is it? Oh Azar, what is that horrible sound? And that stench- like burning bodies... it's getting closer!_

_What do I do? What if it finds me? I have to get out of here. But how? I can't see anything. I can't sense anything... _

_It's not far. Azar, that noise - that stench. I have to move. I have to do something, or I'm going to-_

_No, no... what the fuck is this feeling? Oh Azar, it burns. Aghhh, no, no, stop, get away! Get away from me! Get-_

_Ahhhhhhhhh! The fire! No, why the fire! Of all things... wait, what's behind it?_

_There's something - I can see it now, just barely, lurking in the darkness. It's making that horribly disgusting noise - that sound, that smell... the smell's coming from those bodies stuck in the fire, I think. Burning flesh, but what's that noise?_

_Thump._

_Thump thump._

_Thump._

_I need to get out of here. I really need to leave - oh no. The fire's surrounding me. I need to run- run- no! Get away - get away, get away, stop! _

_I need to get away from that sound, but that means I'll have to dive through the fire. I'll need to burn myself alive- oh Azar, that sound... I can't-_

_Move! Move, run! But the fire- no! Run!_

_Arghhhh! It burns! Ugh! No, no, don't think about it! I have to... I have to... _

_Thump._

_Only my cloak is burning. I just need to get it off without burning my hands. I - there. _

_I have to run. It's still following me, I think. Yeah, it's still there. The noise, in the background... that smell... Azar, it's coming closer again. I need to move. I need to get out of here, but why won't my body respond? What's wrong with me? Why can't I-_

_Thump._

_No, the fire! No, it burns! Ahhh, no, stop, please, it burns! The pain- nnghh- no... please..._

**_Burn the clothes off her back. Sear the flesh from her bones._**

_No, stop... I... I..._

**_You cannot run from death. _**

_I can- I've done it before. I won't be stopped here- no, Azar, what is that hideous form?! No, not the teeth,no get away- stop- no, **no-**_

* * *

><p>Raven's eyes flew open. She sat up instantly, sweating and shaking, eyes slightly glazed over. For several minutes, her eyes shifted around rapidly beneath her eyelids, but eventually she regained her senses and put a hand to her head.<p>

_Same nightmare I've been having for weeks. Being burned alive and... _she paled slightly. _I don't want to think about what happens after that. Just... _

She took a deep breath. _Just a dream. Nothing more. _

"Just a dream," she chanted quietly. "Just a dream. Just-"

A hand clamped over her mouth and her eyes widened with terror.

"Hello, Raven."

_That voice-_

"Remember me?"

Silence.

"Oh, of course, you can't speak. That's fine, there's no need for that. Now, I presume you're wondering why I'm in your room."

A moment later, Raven began thrashing around, sending her powers everywhere, but then there was a sharp pain in her thigh - an injection of some sort - and a thin, metallic band slipped around her wrist, and she suddenly felt extremely dizzy.

_Thump. Thump._

_Oh Azar, my head... what did that bastard do to me? I'll fucking- _she tried to call upon her powers, but the instant she tried to do so, her head throbbed painfully and her focus slipped away.

"Always a fighter, weren't you. How... meaningless. Though, it may make everything a little more entertaining."

"Slade..." Raven gritted her teeth, trying to scream, but her voice would not rise above a whisper. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" He chuckled softly. "Dear girl, what makes you think that I'm going to tell you?"

Raven glared at him, but found her vision blurring slightly. "Because," she snarled, "if you don't, then I'll fucking kill you- nnghh!"

She broke off as he backhanded her across the face, sending her to the floor. She tried to get up, but her head throbbed again and everything began spinning around her, spotted over by bright lights.

"You..." she whispered hatefully. "You won't get away with this. I'm not that easy to kill-"

"Dear girl," Slade murmured - she _hated _the gloating tone of his voice, "what makes you think I'm going to kill you? You're going to come with me. And then you'll find out what happens after that."

"My friends will notice- they'll realize that I'm missing - they'll find you-"

"Will they now?"

"Yes-"

He clamped a hand over her mouth again, then smirked beneath his mask as he saw her eyes widen in terror. "We'll just have to find out, then."

Slade raised another needle and stuck it into her arm. He held her down as she thrashed about wildly for a minute, but as the drug began to take its effect, her movements slowed and her body went still. He knelt down and caressed her cheek gently before slinging her over his shoulder and leaving.

* * *

><p>"Raven? Raven, you've been in your room the whole day. Are you okay-"<p>

"I'm sick. Go away."

"Oh. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No."

Robin scratched his head. "Okay. Let me know if I can get anything for you then."

Silence. The masked hero sighed. _She hasn't done this in a while. I hope nothing's wrong..._

* * *

><p><em>Darkness. Light. Black and white, grey... the cold numbness of the darkness, anticipating the scorching light... what follows the black void? Only pain.<em>_  
><em>

She opened her eyes. And instantly regretted it.

"Ughh..."

She tried to rub her temples to ease away some of the pain in her head, but found that her hands were chained down. She struggled for a minute, but found that the more she moved, the more her head felt like it was going to implode. She grimaced and tried to focus her energy within herself, calming the erratic flow of consciousness in her head, but that failed too and she was forced to bear the pain. _Really, Slade? How many drugs did you pump into my system? I can't even see anything... it hurts to even think... _

"Awake?"

Raven didn't move. He slapped her across the face; she still didn't move.

"Answer when spoken to."

She ignored him. Frowning, he took out a knife and drew it across her skin lightly, up one arm, drawing a trail of blood - she gritted her teeth and remained silent, but the slight shift in her face was enough.

Slade snorted. "I took the liberty of researching your powers," he muttered. "You were always the most troublesome of the Titans, and I knew that it would be... difficult to fight you head on, as long as you were at full strength. So, naturally, I merely needed to find a way to deal with you."

"Versus... just killing... me," Raven gasped out, voice hoarse.

"That would be too easy. Where's the fun in that, hmm?"

"Sadistic- nngh!" At that point, she realized that she wasn't wearing anything.

"I found three ways to stop your powers," Slade continued on. "The first being an artifact similar to that ring of Azar that you remember. Not completely effective, since merely half your blood is demon blood, but it was better than nothing. But I had other options. Your powers come from being able to focus, so it was simple. Dose you with a high enough concentration of certain drugs and you would not be able to do that. And as a third precautionary measure, there are actually hormones in your body that control your ability to use your powers. Blocking those also inhibits your powers."

"Overkill."

"You see," Slade raised his knife again. "I still haven't rewarded you for our little encounters while I was working for your father. I had to take the time to come up with a proper gift."

"Slade!" Raven's eyes opened a sliver, and instantly rolled up as she felt the waves of dizziness overtake her again. "You're... really still bitter about that?"

"Bitter?" He scoffed. "Now why would I be bitter? Tell me, what do you think my motives are?"

"Slade!" Raven cried out again, but gasped as she felt her throat constrict painfully. "Slade," she whispered. "Why? You've never done this before-"

"Why?" He leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "Because I can."

Raven bit back a scream as he brought the knife down again, trailing over her body with the thin, sharp blade. Tracing grotesque shapes on her skin, lightly, but painfully, carving into her chest and across her stomach, spiraling around her legs and down her arms. Lightly at first, then harder, until she was dripping blood everywhere and the cuts were distorted, jagged fissures in her flesh. She bit her lip until she drew blood, and then gnashed her teeth together as he carved her up further, but still, refused to give in.

"Still not a sound? Impressive."

"Fuck off."

"Language, dear girl. You are supposed to be a role model for all the young children out there."

"Fuck you-"

He placed the blade on the inside of her cheek. "My, my. Looks like I'll have to correct this mouth of yours. Or have you learned your lesson?"

She glared daggers at him, half lidded, eyes barely open - and even that was an effort, for how much her head hurt - but remained silent.

"Good girl," he patted her on the head.

He passed his knife gently over her cheek, making a tiny, precise cut, reveling in the contorted faces she made; he could practically see the repressed pain and rage that seethed just behind her lips, but the anger that she was too terrified to let out, lest he carve her body up more. She refused to look at him - perhaps she could not... he had pumped her full of drugs after all - but then again, perhaps she could because she looked up as he drew back, sheathing his knife.

"Now, you might want to bandage those wounds before you bleed all over yourself."

"Does it look like I can?" she spat at him.

"Good point." He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the chains supporting her arms and legs.

Raven collapsed to the ground instantly, landing hard on her hands and knees. Slade stared at her for a moment, then threw a bandage roll at her. The violet haired girl stared at it for a moment, then snarled and leapt up, trying to attack him. He swatted her aside easily, clamping a hand around her throat.

She narrowed her eyes. "Bastard..." her voice came out tight, strained.

He let her drop, then drove a needle into her thigh. "Might want to take care of yourself before the nausea sets back in. Enjoy your nap."

Raven seethed at him, but sensing the darkness encroaching on the edges of her mind, decided to let it drop and reached for the bandage roll. "Fuck you, Slade," she muttered under her breath. "I swear, when I get my powers back..." her voice trailed off as the dizziness returned in full force.

Her hand trembled as she tried to wrap the cloth around her wounds, but as she felt her head throb again, she sighed, letting the cloth drop out of her hands, bleeding out onto the ground. _I won't die like this. Not yet. I can't..._

* * *

><p>"Raven, you've been in your room for three days."<p>

"I got some food last night. I'm fine, Robin."

"Raven, I-"

"I'm fine."

"But you-"

"Leave me alone. I'm fine."

"Raven, you're never fine when you stay in your room for this long."

"Go away, Robin. I'm okay."

"Fine. But you better come out tomorrow, okay?"

Silence. Robin gritted his teeth and resisted the temptation to break down her door, knowing that it might only upset her._Something's wrong. I need to figure out what. She's stayed in her room before, but it hasn't happened in a while and I can't sense anything through our bond. Raven, why won't you let me in?_

* * *

><p><em>Darkness and light. Death and pain. Is there any reprieve? <em>

She opened her eyes. And took a deep breath. Then closed her eyes again. _Better. Looks like my body is getting more used to these drugs. _She opened her eyes, scanning over her body. _It's been a couple days. He hasn't been back yet, except to inject me with more of that garbage. No food, no water, but... at least he's not cutting me up. I'm healing. More slowly without my powers, but if I can regain some strength, I might be able to fight him. I can't get this wristband off, though, so my powers will be inhibited... _

_Azar, it hurts! I can't even move... how am I supposed to fight him? How am I supposed to do anything? Ugh, am I really this powerless? What if... what if... he tries to rape me or something? What if-_

She looked up.

He was nothing more than a giant shadow standing over her. She squinted and behind, the room came slightly in focus.

It was large, constructed of nothing but worn, grey stone, and there were only a few lights that barely lit the corners of the room; the center was pretty much cast in utter darkness. She could barely make out the shape of some large, wicked contraptions in the middle of the room and shuddered to think about what they were supposed to do - she supposed he had strung her up on one of those but hadn't actually used it, else she would be dead by now.

"Afraid?"

She turned swiftly. "Hardly."

"Really?" Slade said softly, silkily. He leaned in close and cupped her chin. "That's too bad."

"I'm already used to your shit, Slade," Raven muttered. "Carving me up again won't do anything."

"That's fine," the masked man replied smoothly. "I have other ways of doing this. You see, Raven, I know all about you and all of your fears. What haunts you during the night, the things locked away within your mind that you so vehemently deny and repress... I know about them all. And by the end, you_will _break."_  
><em>

"I'll die before I bow to you. And mark my words, _Slade. _If you don't finish me off fast enough, my friends will find you. And once I'm free-"

He slapped a hand over her mouth. "Let me tell you a little something, Raven. I know... that one of your greatest fears is being left alone. Perhaps no longer abandonment, but being lost... trapped, imprisoned by yourself, left to rot in this hell of a world without anyone else around."_  
><em>

"My friends still care! They're looking for me-"

"I'm sure they do," Slade caressed her cheek. "But they don't even know that you're missing yet. And they'll never find you."

"How do you know that? We found Robin when you kidnapped him! We-"

"Do you really think that I would make the same mistake twice in a row?"

"You did with Terra, didn't you? It cost you your life. You lost the little game you played with us._You _were the one who couldn't-"

"Silence!" He kneed her in the stomach, but this time Raven's body held firm.

She gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists. A moment later, a small spark of dark power fizzled through the air, throwing Slade back. His one visible eye widened in surprise, but he reacted swiftly and kicked her again, then another time, harder and harder until he sent her flying across the room. Raven landed on her back and moaned in pain, clutching her head.

"Impressive. You're proving to be more resilient than I had imagined. However," he pulled out another needle and stuck it in her again. "You made a mistake in letting me know you could access your powers, if only a little. All I have to do now is increase the dose that I'm giving to you."

Raven's eyes rolled back as he injected her with another fluid-filled syringe, then sank back against the ground as the drug began to take its effect. Slade crouched down and grabbed her hair, tilting her head up and forcing her to look at him. "By the way, you know those other fears I was talking about? I know you'll enjoy this one."

The masked man pressed a button on the wall and a moment later, Raven felt a wetness beneath her. No, not just a wetness... her eyes filled with panic as she realized that she was slowly being submerged in a warm, watery fluid that smelled of iron.

"Blood?" she gasped out.

"Enjoy the bloodbath, dear. I'm sure that drowning was one of your favorite ways to die, but I couldn't just stop at that. This should be far more enjoyable. Ah yes, suffocating in blood..."

"Slade, wait! Slade! Where are you going?! Don't do this! Slade..." she slammed a fist against the ground as he disappeared into the darkness, trying to fight down the panic welling up inside her.

_Damn him! How did he know that I was afraid of drowning? Even Trigon shouldn't have known something like that. Damn it! _

Raven gritted her teeth and tried to stand, but the strong smell of the blood around her coupled with the drugs coursing through her system forced her to stay crouched on the grown, dizzy and disoriented. The blood continued to rise, first covering her shins, then her forearms, and she gagged as it came up to her face, stinging her eyes.

"Slade," she whimpered, "please. Please don't do this."

The pool of blood overtook her quickly and she was forced to try and float on the rapidly rising waves of sanguine, trying to stay afloat as the crimson tide churned around her. Raven's gaze shifted upward; there was a small window on the ceiling, held shut by some sort of latch, but knowing Slade, she knew that it was not going to be easy to open.

As the surface of the blood approached the ceiling, she moved into position, squinting at the metal contraption that held her escape path shut._It's jagged. He wants me to cut myself while trying to get free. _

Raven looked around her and bit her lip. _It's either that or drown in this... __  
><em>

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed at the latch and bit back the pain as it cut into her hand._It's not so bad. This pain is nothing. It's helping clear my mind a bit. I'm not that dizzy anymore. I just need to get this thing open and... _her hand slipped and she swore under her breath as the blood reached her chin. _Calm down. Calm down, try again. Take your time. It's probably rusted shut so I need to apply slow force, otherwise I'll just end up cutting my fingers off. Come on! _

She cursed again as the blood rose up higher and took a deep breath as it surrounded her._Damn it, why won't this thing open? I need to- I need to... oh Azar, I can't breathe. I can't- I can't... the smoke, the fire... the water... I'm falling... I'm drowning... I can't breathe, why can't I breathe?_She clutched at her chest, feeling her heart pounding faster and faster as the air left her lungs. _Slade! Slade, let me out of here! I can't breathe! Slade! _

She opened her mouth and let out a stream of bubbles but nothing else came out, and the only thing she was left with was the acrid taste of blood in her mouth._Please, I don't want to die like this! I- _she clutched at her chest again, feeling her muscles constrict further as she was deprived of oxygen. Her grip on the latch loosened and slowly her body began to sink down as darkness danced at the edges of her vision._Why..._

She closed her eyes. _Why... why couldn't you save me... why did you let me fall... you were the only one who could make me stay afloat... Robin..._

_Robin... Robin! Robin... he did save me! He was the one who brought me back._Her eyes flew open. _I can't give up. _

She swam up again and this time kicked at the window, wincing as shards of glass cut into her feet, but persisting nonetheless. She cried out in pain beneath the surface of crimson, feeling her own blood mingle with it, but forced herself to continue before her lungs collapsed entirely. Eventually, she made an opening just large enough for her to fit through and swam toward it frantically, trying to squeeze her body through the sharp shards of glass.

But suddenly, he was there, staring down at her through the broken window. Her eyes widened slightly and she froze in place, terror etched plainly on her face.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Slade stepped down on her fingers and Raven winced, but still clung tightly to the shattered glass, hands bleeding profusely. She tried pulling herself out of the crimson liquid, but he reached down and held her shoulders in place, forcing her to stay beneath the surface of the blood. Raven's eyes flooded with terror and she thrashed around, trying frantically to free herself from his grasp, but he was too strong and she was too dizzy from the lack of air and from the drugs in her system.

_"Slade!" _Raven opened her mouth in a frantic attempt to speak, but her voice was lost in a stream of bubbles._"Why?" _

He said nothing, holding her there until her struggles weakened and her hold on the broken glass loosened. And then slowly, as she fell unconscious, the terror on her face faded into weariness and her eyelids closed. After another minute, he let her go and she fell back, dropping away into the abyss of blood, her hair streaming about her. Grimacing beneath his mask, he pushed another button and then got up and left.

* * *

><p>Robin looked up.<em> What the..? Something hurts. No, it doesn't hurt me... it feels like... Raven! Raven, she must be in pain! <em> Robin muttered something under his breath and rushed out of his room. He knocked on Raven's door, and without bothering to wait for a reply, he began typing in the code to open her door.

"Raven, I'm coming in. You can't keep me out this time- what the..."

Robin's eyes widened as something came charging at him - something metallic, and very much not Raven - and before he could react, it pinned him to the ground. Cursing to himself, he shoved the thing off of him and kicked it back into Raven's room, beating it down with his staff relentlessly until it was nothing more than a mass of broken wires and bent limbs. After a moment, when he had caught his breath, he looked down and hissed as he noticed what it was.

"Slade," he muttered under his breath. "I should have known something was wrong."

He kicked off the slade-bot's mask and held the screen up to his face. "I know you're there Slade. Answer me! What have you done with Raven!"

The screen fizzled a couple times, then the familiar image of his masked nemesis appeared, but instantly, his eyes were drawn to the pale figure in the background - he couldn't quite see who it was, but he was fairly certain-

"Slade!" Robin shouted. "What do you think you're-"

"Robin," Slade replied calmly. "How disappointing. I was expecting you to figure it out earlier-"

"I swear, when I get my hands on you-"

"That's nice, Robin. But you'll have to find me first, and I am not sure how much more your little friend here can take. Her poor heart might just... give out... before you get here."

"Slade, stop! Why are you-"

"Why, Robin? You know full well why it has to be her. And truthfully, you and I both know that you are not capable of stopping me. But, I'm willing to give you a chance. So, come. Try to find me. And see if you can save her. But make it fast, or else..."

"Slade!"

"Oh, I forgot one thing." Slade's eye narrowed. "Should you actually happen to find us, you will come alone. If you bring your team with you, I_will _kill her, and you will have lost your chance to save your precious bird. Are we clear?"

"I'm not in the mood to negotiate-"

"That's too bad then. Say goodbye to-"

"Wait!"

"Do you agree, or not?"

"I-" Robin gnashed his teeth together. "Fine. But I will let them know._We _are going to find you, and when we do, mark my words-"

"I'm sure," Slade yawned. "Do hurry up. My patience is limited."

The screen flickered again and went black. Robin took a few deep breaths, then with an enraged shout, smashed the screen in with his hands and stormed out of Raven's room.

* * *

><p><em>Night and day. All the same here. By night, there is only terror. And by day, pain. There is hardly enough time to heal before he comes back... <em>

Her eyes fluttered.

"Ughh..."

Raven's eyes opened slightly. Then closed - the dizziness was too much to handle - and she sighed. Then smirked.

"Not carrying through with your death threats, Slade? Now you've given me a reason to not be afraid of you."

No response. She frowned, then tried to sit up, holding her head. Looking around, squinting hard, she was able to make out some features of the room that she was in - a small one, like a prison cell, with a bed and a shower, but nothing else. Nothing, but the stench was terrifying - no doubt because she had probably been unconscious for a while and had had a layer of dried blood sticking to her for that whole time. So, at least, the shower made sense. Maybe._Unless... it's a__ trap? Or... __  
><em>

Raven bit her lip, then tried to stand, wobbling on her feet. She took one tentative step forward, then two, then three - then fell toward the ground, landing on her hands and knees. _Screw it. I'll just crawl. _

She inched her way slowly toward the shower and got to her feet again, leaning against a wall for support. Looking around warily, she took a few deep breaths and tried focusing her energies within her body. Regaining some of her senses, she gasped as the pain returned with them, but clenched her jaw shut so she would not make too much noise. _I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm still alive... and my body's getting used to this level of drug dose again. This time, I won't let him know. I'll pretend like it's still working. Then, when I get strong enough, I'm going to get out of here. But for now... _

She glanced up. _It just looks like a normal shower, but it's Slade. He always has something up his sleeve. Maybe I'll be careful this time..._she stepped back and turned the knob on the shower slowly, just to be sure that nothing strange was going to come out._  
><em>

Sure enough, it was just water that dripped down. Cold, but at least it was just water. Raven breathed a sigh of relief and stepped in, feeling the cool liquid penetrate the layer of dried blood matted on her skin and sooth away the pain somewhat. She still had a few cuts on her body and her hands and feet were particularly screwed up, but at least the pain was bearable. At least it wasn't the terror of drowning...

The water stopped.

She looked up, raising an eyebrow. _Maybe he set limits on these things? Prisoner showers only get to be two minutes or something... wait. What's that noise?__It's like... buzzing? Clicking- oh no. I have to-_

Raven turned as the shower door behind her locked itself shut. She swore under her breath and pressed herself against one corner of the shower stall, not daring to move, not daring to breathe. The buzzing sound grew louder and suddenly, from the shower head, a mass of beetles swarmed out, eyes glowing red above their wicked-looking jaws. Raven paled and stood still, hoping they wouldn't notice her, but then cursed again as she realized that they would be attracted to the scent of blood on her body.

"Slade!" she shouted. "Slade, let me out of here! Fucking..."

The beetles dove for her, latching on to her skin. Raven forced herself not to scream and threw her body against the shower door, trying to break it down. It would not budge.

"Slade!" she yelled again. "Are you serious? You sick freak! Let me out of here! Agh- no- no!"

She yelped as the beetles began biting into her, not satisfied with just draining the blood from her body. She threw her body against the shower door harder than ever, to the point where it nearly broke her bones, and yet that would have been better than being eaten alive...

Abruptly, it shattered, cutting into her, but she didn't care- she just had to get away from the beetles and crush the ones still sticking to her...

"Did you call for my help?"

She looked up and her face turned a ghastly white. "What are you holding? Is that a_flamethrower?_"

"Something to help you. This will take care of those pesky bugs. Hold tight," Slade murmured. "This will only hurt a bit."

Her screams could barely be heard above the sound of the roaring fire as it tore through the bugs and her flesh alike; resilient as she was to fire from her father's genes, she was still half human and the intensity of the flame was enough to roast her alive, if he wished to kill her there.

But Slade was not that nice.

He lowered the weapon after a minute, then watched as she collapsed to the ground, her blackened and blistering body laying motionless among the fried corpses of a horde of beetles. "Mm. Perhaps I overdid it."

"No shit..." Raven croaked.

Her eyes shifted beneath the curtain of her hair and Slade chuckled.

"Still conscious? Impressive. I'll have to try something else, then. In the mean time, stay there, won't you?"

Raven closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>"It's... there," Robin muttered to himself. "It has to be. He always leaves clues for me. He wants me to find them."<p>

He ran a hand through his hair as he felt another pang of pain in the back of his mind._Raven... _"He told me to go alone... he'll be watching. It's going to be a trap. I know it. But I can't risk Raven's life..."_  
><em>

Another surge of pain - this one so strong that he practically felt it in his own body - the endless wounds, her charred flesh and the bleeding cuts that could only, ever so slowly heal because her powers were cut off.

_I don't have the time to think about this! I can go alone. I can handle it. Wait for me, Raven. I'm coming!_

* * *

><p><em>Thump.<em>

_Thump. Thump._

_Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump._

She sat up, gasping. _My heart stopped for a moment... I almost died. _She clutched at her chest. _Maybe it would have been better if I had... wait. _She touched her sternum again and was surprised to feel cloth beneath her fingers. Looking down, squinting, she realized that she was covered in gauze and bandages - Slade, for some reason, had helped her heal - and though many of the deep cuts on her body still remained, at least the burns were gone.

Running her hands over her body gingerly, she loosened some of the bandages slowly, feeling the skin beneath. Wincing a little - it was still forming, raw and sensitive, but she was healing.

_This accursed body. Just strong enough to withstand the pain he inflicts upon me, but not strong enough to overpower him. If only..._all thought broke off as she heard a door open and saw him approach.

"What now?" she whispered. "Still haven't broken me yet."

"One might disagree, hearing you beg me to stop the pain-"

Raven hissed softly. "I don't remember_ begging, _thank you very much."

"You were positively screaming, girl. But, no matter. We have all the time in the world. Because," he leaned in, pressing his mask up against her nose, "your friends aren't going to find you."

"You're wrong! Robin-"

"Robin is worthless," Slade spat. "As are all the others, I might add. I was mistaken when I set my eyes on Robin. And Terra. Neither of them was worthy. Neither-"

"Then what the fuck do you want with me?" Raven growled. "What are you going to-" her eyes widened. "Wait, you can't be serious."

Slade chuckled darkly. "Silly girl. I don't want you as my apprentice. You're going to be _mine. _After I break your spirit and remake you, of course."

...

"What?! Slade, what the fuck- Slade!" Raven broke off as he tore off her bandages, revealing her bare, sensitive body.

He ran a hand over her chest, squeezing hard, and despite her mind's protests, her body responded to his touch. "You don't get it, do you?" he spoke hurriedly, fervently. "Destroying the world together, then saving it. Realizing that you were, all along, the special one of that mediocre lot. I had to chastise myself for being so blind-"

"We didn't save it together! _Robin _and I saved it! Not - nngh!"

He pinched one hardened nipple, then both at the same time, and her protests were lost in a series of muffled moans.

"You're mine, Raven. But, of course, I realized that too late. By that point, you were already in love with that fool."

Her eyes flew open again. "What in the world are you-"

"No matter, no matter," he muttered to himself. "I knew that I could make you mine, even if it had to be by force. There was no way I was going to let you go."

"What the fuck!" Raven kicked at him, but he placed himself over her, pinning her body to the ground. A pair of handcuffs stopped the movement from her arms and two chains bound her thighs to the ground - but she still continued to struggle. "I'm not yours! I don't belong to you! I don't belong to anyone! Let me go!"

"Never," Slade snarled, then shook his head slightly, taking a few deep breaths. When he spoke again, it was in his usual calm, composed tone, though she could still sense a hint of desperation in his voice. "They'll never find you. Oh, except for Robin. I gave him a clue and told him to come find us - on the condition that he was to come alone."

"Alone... you're going to kill him?! Slade-!"

"It's the only way to sever your bond," he replied smoothly. "After that, you should have no inhibitions."

"Slade, don't! Don't hurt him!"

He trailed a hand across her body, over her abdomen and toward her secret areas. "Girl, don't tell me what to do."

He forced two fingers inside of her - she was tight; she had never done anything of this sort, he supposed - and was surprised to see her eyes well up with tears.

"Slade, _please. _Anything but-"

He paused for a moment. "Very well. Kill Robin. Then we'll talk."

"You motherfucking- ah, nn-" her back arched up and she felt some sort of alien sensation stir up in her body, a tension, like a festering fire...

His movements suddenly doubled in pace and the feelings rushed down to her groin quickly; she forced back her moans, forcing back the feelings, trying to contain herself. But when his other hand came up to caress her breasts and he put a thumb to the sensitive nub at the top of her opening, her body refused to obey her any longer and the sensations exploded.

Her voice burst out in a mixture of a scream and a moan and her body convulsed rhythmically, gushing her girlish fluids everywhere. But it did not stop there - he continued stimulating her nether regions forcefully, adding sensation to her already sensitive flesh and she came again, her body betraying her in a wild spray of translucent liquid. He laughed darkly, watching her face contort as she rode out the orgasms, watching as her eyes fill with humiliation as she came a third time, completely unable to stop herself from responding to his touches.

When she finally calmed down from the forced high, she turned away from him, face colored a deep shade of crimson.

"Enjoy yourself?"

"No," she hiccuped. "As if being raped would make me suddenly think of you as my hero-"

"Rape? Don't make me laugh. That hardly counts as rape. _This,_ however..." he fumbled with something at his belt._  
><em>

_No... _Raven closed her eyes._ Am I really going to let him do this to me? Am I just going to let him have his way with me? It's already happened once. Am I really this weak? Robin... Robin... you taught me how to stand up on my own. I... _she felt tears streaming down her face but she didn't care. _My first time is supposed to be with you, Robin! Not to this masked monster... but I'm so powerless! Am I really going to let him take me like this? I can't- I- I'm not going to let you do this to me, Slade! _

"What the-"

Raven's eyes began glowing with power, and even as Slade reached for one of his syringes, she blasted him back and broke the chains binding her legs and arms simultaneously. She got to her feet as quickly as she could, trying to fight off the dizziness. _That was all the power I could muster. It'll have to do for now. _She glanced back momentarily, and spat at the masked man before hobbling off._  
><em>

A minute later, Slade regained his senses and swore violently. He glanced around, single eye burning with vengeance, trying to track where the demon girl had gone. _Damn it. Robin's probably here by now as well. No, I needn't deal with him. Raven is the only one who matters. Raven- where did she go? You can't run from me, Raven! You can't run from me!_

* * *

><p>In the dark, the labyrinth of halls was nearly untraversable, but he let the bond guide him toward her - whenever the constant, throbbing sensation grew a little stronger, he knew he was going the right way.<p>

She was moving too; perhaps she had somehow gotten away from Slade? _I need to find her before he gets to her. Keep fighting, Raven! Don't give up! I'm coming for you! Please, don't give up. I'm almost there..._

* * *

><p><em>Thump.<em>

_Thump... thump thump... thump... _

The erratic rhythm of her hobbling matched the pulse of her failing heart. She was bleeding again, and the increased blood flow from her frantic movement was only making it worse. But it was that, or getting caught by Slade again...

_Move! Run!_

**_You cannot run from death. _**

She paused, gasping for air. Forget the drugs - the blood loss was making her dizzy again, and she knew that calling upon her powers would only make it worse. The more energy she spent, the more she would bleed out, and yet..._ if I don't get out of here, he's just going to...__  
><em>

_Move!_

The pain was almost too much to bear. Every step only worsened the searing agony in each cut, every step, she lost more blood and her heart pounded harder against her ribs, struggling to maintain the flow of blood to her body. Her chest heaving, feeling as if it were about to collapse, but still moving on.

It was utterly dark. There was only one sensation guiding her - the slight tingling in the back of her head that told her Robin was near. Near, but still so far! She could sense him, but he was just out of reach...

_Keep moving. I can make it. I'll make it out of here. I'll-_

**_You cannot run from death. _**

_I can do it. _

She turned a corner and hobbled on.

_**You cannot run from death.** _

She turned another corner-

"Miss me?"

She felt her breath catch in her throat as Slade advanced on her. She opened her mouth, but no words would come out. She closed her eyes...

He touched her gently, hand shaking slightly. "You're bleeding to death... you'd die, just to get away from me?"

"This is your fault, you know," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "_You _did this to me. _You're-_"_  
><em>

"Shut up!" Slade snarled fiercely. "Why won't you give in?! Why do you only think about that petty bird boy- why-"

"You wouldn't understand," she replied, shaking her head. "You're too selfish to."

Slade stared at her for a minute- two... three... he didn't move. Merely staring at her, lost in thought. Raven bit her lip. _Did he... zone out or something? Maybe I can just sneak past him-_

She shifted a foot.

"Don't even think about it," Slade muttered maliciously.

Raven paled and stood still as Slade paced around her.

"I was willing to give you anything you wanted-"

"Lies," Raven whispered. "The cuts on my body prove otherwise-"

"Shut up!" He kneed her between the legs and as she doubled over, caught her throat in a hand and slammed her head against the ground.

Raven cried out in pain and her eyes flew open as he spread her legs apart.

"Fine!" Slade growled. "If you insist on being that way, I will accept it! I'll just take from you what I wanted and leave Robin your mangled corpse to play with."

"Slade, no-"

"There's no point in pleading with me now, girl. You're done for."

He pushed into her, hard, and ignored her screams as he thrust against her. Her muscles clenched around him involuntarily as she came almost instantly, and the look of shock and humiliation on her face only grew when she realized that he was taking pictures of her.

"Slade-"

He clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up and enjoy."

He tweaked her nipples roughly and chuckled as she came again.

"You sick bastard!" her shouts were muffled by his hand. "You'll never get away with this!"

"I doubt that. You see, Robin doesn't have what it takes to face me. And with you gone-"

"I'm not going to die to you today!"

With a tremendous push upward, Raven forced Slade back and kicked him straight in the groin. The masked man howled in pain and doubled over, but as Raven tried to flee, he caught her ankle.

"Now you're asking for it," he said quietly.

Raven paled as he pinned her to the ground again, sensing that this time, he was out for blood. "Wait," her voice shook with terror. "I didn't-"

"I've had enough of your nonsense."

The masked man drew out his quarterstaff and let it extend. One end had been honed into a blade, and her eyes filled with desperation as he placed that portion in front of her entrance, resting lightly on her sensitive flesh.

"Slade," she whispered. "You're... not really going to kill me, are you?"

He took a deep breath.

Then laughed harshly. "This is how life works, Raven. There is no mercy."

The violet haired girl's face contorted with rage. "You're not going to get away with this. Do you hear me? If you kill me-"

"You'll what? Rise from the dead and get your revenge? Nonsense." He shoved the blade inside of her.

She screamed.

**_"You're dead, Slade! You hear me? You're dead! I'll make sure -_ ahhhhhh!****_"_**

He shoved the blade further inside her and as it passed her cervix, her eyes rolled up in her head and she could no longer find the voice to do anything but scream.

"You can't run from death," Slade hummed to himself. "Actually, that's a lie. You can try running. But it won't do you any good in the end. Give your father my regards when you visit him in hell, Raven."

He thrust the staff in in a violent gesture and her body went limp.

* * *

><p>He found her like that, broken and bleeding between her legs, her face still contorted in an agonized scream.<p>

Next to her, there were several pictures of her face as he had- he had...

Robin put a hand over his eyes and knelt beside her body. It wasn't even the fact that Slade had raped her. It was... it was- the pure humiliation evident in her eyes, and that sense of despair... the kind of despair when one looked into the jaws of an inevitable death, and there was no alternative... the despair, when she had walked to her doom when she had become the portal and was destroyed, but this time, she really was dead...

He gave off an agonized shout. Just one, nothing else.

He looked down at her, closing her eyes and smoothing her face into something a little more peaceful, so that it at least wouldn't look like she had been killed like that - tortured, cast down, destroyed utterly.

But not broken, he reminded himself. At least she hadn't given up. At least- did that make it better?

He hugged her body, willing himself to remain silent, as she had.

She hadn't given up, but that didn't make it any better. She was still dead. She was still gone, and Slade had gotten away yet again-

Robin looked up, clenching his hands into fists.

_You will pay for this, Slade. I swear it. If it's the last thing I do, you will pay for this..._

* * *

><p>In the formless dark, a pair of eyes opened. Gleaming white, with pure power.<p>

The owner, a rather small figure of what seemed to be a feminine form, stood up and gathered her cloak around herself, raising the hood over her head.

Abruptly, the two eyes multiplied into four and shifted into a sickly crimson, glowing wickedly with a demonic sanguine. She laughed softly, hollowly, to herself, and closed her eyes, basking in the darkness.

And opened them again, as the darkness dropped away and the light reemerged around her. She sniffed at the air and licked her lips.

"Smells like blood. The time is right for reaping." She closed her eyes again.

**_You can run from death, mortal, but you can't hide._**

Singing quietly to herself, she floated forward in the black night.

**_You've cast me down. You thought you had won, mortal, but you have always underestimated me. Now, it's time to ascend._**


End file.
